


Yesterday's Bleeding Through

by jesterlady



Category: Dollhouse
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Canon Compliant, Episode Related, Episode: s01e13 Epitaph One, Epitaph Verse, Gen, Missing Scene, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-16
Updated: 2011-11-16
Packaged: 2017-10-26 03:41:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/278278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesterlady/pseuds/jesterlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Echo's thoughts as she and Paul come to bring everyone to SafeHaven.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yesterday's Bleeding Through

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is my attempt to reconcile the differences between Epitaph's One and Two. Why Echo was called Caroline by DeWitt, why they were friends in Two but in One were enemies. How Tony and Priya had a child when it seemed like they weren't together. How Topher came to be the one to set up the memories. How little Caroline had skills. Mostly I wanted to show how DeWitt and Echo came to a peace and to remember that Echo has Margaret inside her.  
> Disclaimer: I don't own Dollhouse. Some lines are from the show. The title is from the theme song by Jonatha Brooke

Walking back into the House might have been the hardest thing she’d ever done - and she’d done some pretty hard things. Just waking up, for example. Living with the party in her head. Keeping herself from reaching out for the comfort she knew she could find. Staying strong. Finding a refuge.

But coming back here, it was necessary and hard. She had to finish what Caroline started; the girl wouldn’t shut up about it until she did. Not that she didn’t agree, not that she hadn’t made that her own mission before Caroline had ever come back. She’d said she would wake everyone up, get them out. That job had become a whole lot harder when it was the whole world and not just one House.

She was here though and there were hard decisions to make. These people had to be made ready to face the world above ground. She doubted most of them would make it. Staring at the very pregnant woman across the room made her feel sick and then wistful. Jack’s face flashed across her mind’s eye but she quickly pushed it aside. If she could resist Paul's comfort, she certainly wouldn’t let a baby distract her.

Memories crowded in from every corner of her head. Thoughts from multiple sources. But she focused on her own. Her memories of this place, of the people here. It was hell and worse, but it gave her a strange sort of comfort to be back. To see people like Tony and Priya. It had hurt to leave them behind. 

She leaned against the pillar and watched, favoring her wounded leg. She’d get Saunders to fix it later. Paul was handling the rounding up, for which she was grateful. She needed to think. DeWitt appeared, leading Topher by the hand. Echo’s eyes narrowed. Topher was obviously afraid or worried, clinging to the former ruler of the House, babbling on about something or other.

Caroline’s voice screamed in anger at the sight of the other woman. Echo had to concentrate to keep her from taking over. Caroline wasn’t objective enough. So, she kept her place and watched DeWitt taking care of the broken genius. When Topher was safely ensconced with the others DeWitt left and Caroline wanted to follow. But Echo felt a stabbing pain again in her leg and followed the more practical route. Caroline wasn’t practical.

“How did you ever survive without me?” she murmured to herself and went to find Saunders. 

They discussed the future while her leg was stitched up.

Once her leg was fixed, she took Saunders to the lab. She sat in the chair and shuddered at the feel of it against her body. She’d sat there many times, willingly and no, but this thing would always personify evil for her. She felt the pain, she remembered it, but the result would be worth it this time. 

Echo brought Caroline to the forefront and let Saunders copy her. Caroline knew where to go and what to do and Echo trusted her more than any of her other selves. Plus she thought it might be a good thing not to have two Echos running around the world. Alpha was enough company. She might have left a few necessary skills for herself, just in case.

“You’re done,” Saunders said and Echo tilted back upwards. 

“Okay, now we’ve got to figure out where to leave it.”

“I can help.” 

The two women looked up and Saunders looked shocked to see Topher standing in the lab once more. He was obviously nervous and restless, but he was there.

“I can do it, Topher,” Saunders said. 

She had none of the old hatred in her face. Long years of being trapped and someone being crazy must do that to enmity, Echo thought. She had her own share of wacky stories and weird hatch burying since the fallout.

“No, no, no. I have to. It’s necessary. Listen, you’ve got to leave clues. Trails to follow, the story, the moral of our exodus.”

“What kind of clues?” Echo asked.

“Memories,” he said, coming forward. “The only real thing left.”

Echo understood. She liked the idea. It was brilliant, in fact. Something was left inside his head.

They set to work on the plan, Topher grabbing what was needed. 

She left to go and finish her preparations while Topher and Saunders got what they needed from other people. Themselves, DeWitt, Tony, Paul. Someone needed to know how the world had been destroyed and they were the story, the threads of their tapestry interwoven in a display of beautiful sorrow.

Then Saunders decided to stay behind and be the messenger. Echo tried to argue, while knowing it wouldn’t do any good. The body language reader inside her could see that Saunders was set.

“You’ll lose your mind if you stay here alone,” she said anyway. 

“I lost my mind a long time ago,” was the reply. “It’s important that I do this.”

“Thank you,” Echo said simply and gave her a hug. 

Something she didn’t do very often but all that had happened to them seemed to require it. 

Echo left for the main floor where Paul was giving instructions to a group of people who looked like children to her eyes. She ignored DeWitt when she saw her on the stairs.

“You’ve come to save the innocent lambs,” the other woman said derisively. 

“They’re not lambs, DeWitt. I think I’ve mentioned that before.”

“What about the rest of us, Caroline?” DeWitt asked, pointedly ignoring who she was really talking to. Caroline clamored again to be at the forefront. “Have you come to save us too or to kill us?”

Echo moved closer and fought with all her might for self-control.

“Can you give me a reason not to?”

The other woman was staunch in her calm. 

“I’m not going to plead with you. Your mind’s made up.” 

Caroline jumped to the wheel, getting out the gun and cocking it.

“Yes, it is.” 

Adelle DeWitt simply looked up at her, unflinching.

A new voice rose in the cacophony. Echo was confused for a moment. It was Margaret. Caroline faded into the background as Margaret took control, flooding Echo’s mind with memories of the woman Caroline was trying to kill.

Laughing over coffee. Strolling through a park in England. In a shopping center, talking about old friends. Consoling DeWitt through the betrayal of her husband. Having DeWitt hold her hand as she truly died.

“I’m the only one here who truly knows that woman,” Margaret said. “She may be part of this problem, but Addie didn’t cause it and you know everything she did to correct her mistakes. Don’t hold it against her. If you can forgive Alpha and yourself, you can forgive anyone.”

Echo smiled. What a lot she could learn from herself. She put the gun away. Caroline was strangely silent, pondering, certain to come back with an opinion when she'd mulled it over for awhile.

“We’re all paying for your sins, Adelle,” Echo said. “You most of all. Let’s go. Topher will need you.”

Adelle smiled slightly as she rose. 

“I’m glad you came into being, Echo,” she said in a hard voice. “It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

“You’ve got that right,” Echo said and walked over toward the group. 

Adelle followed behind. 

It felt good to burn another grudge behind her. It gave her new strength to face what was going to come.

She was surrounded by people she had to consider family since she didn’t have the traditional kind. They were all broken, lonely, and some sure to die, but they were together now. Tony and Priya were on one side, Priya looking slightly larger than she used to. Guess they made up then. Another pregnant woman to worry about. Echo decided right then and there that Priya would make it, no matter what. Adelle took a hold of Topher’s hand and whispered words to him. He smiled. Saunders stood above them, looking down, a silent testimony to courage under fire. She nodded a goodbye. Echo nodded back and then strode ahead, not needing to look to know Paul was by her side, an ever present strength. It was time to leave the Dollhouse, hopefully, for the last time.


End file.
